Finalized regulations on recording in schools were among several district policies approved by the Warren County R-III School Board last week.

The board voted 5-1 to approve the policies. Board member Rodger Tucker was the lone board member to vote against the policies. Board member Sarah Janes was absent.

Tucker was concerned that recently added language made the recording policy more confusing.

“On (Superintendent Gregg Klinginsmith’s) original one, it followed what the Supreme Court said,” Tucker said. “‘Materially and substantially interferes with the requirements of appropriate discipline and operation of the school,’ kind of says it all. And now it kind of looks like we’re muddying the waters a little bit.”

Tucker said he was especially concerned with language related to policing off-campus recording. The policy says discipline may be applied for off-campus videos that cause disruption in school or is unprotected speech, such as harassment or threats against students or school employees. Tucker stressed he has no problem with threats being part of the policy.

Board member Deanna Zwyers said the district can implement the discipline policy. However, she cautioned it takes a lot to prove a recording is a disruption.

“I think we have to be very careful applying the discipline,” Zwyers said. “But I think the wording here in the document is clear to say that we can if it is (disruptive).”

Board president Ginger Schenck believes the policy is a good change. She said it’s correct for the policy to include language about off-campus videotaping. These recordings sometimes make it back into the school, she said. If the video does not make it back into the school, it would not be an issue, she said.

“The off-campus videos do come into the school setting and do cause disruptions in instruction,” Schenck said. “And I understand we don’t just want somebody claiming that it hurt their feelings. I think this is way beyond that. This is somebody being affected to a level which we would have to prove.”

The updated policy doesn’t include language that was previously in the policy which stated students needed permission for a teacher or activity sponsor to videotape in school.

Board member Jeff Schneider believes this was a good change to the policy.

“I think our original conversation a couple months ago was about needing permission to video,” Schneider said. “And so we’ve obviously struck that out. Permission from a teacher is no longer needed to be recorded. … To me, it’s more about that they’re allowed to take videos, it’s just coming down to the discipline if it disrupts. It’s pretty hard to prove, necessarily, that it’s substantially a disruption.”

The school board also approved policies for staff conflicts of interest, board member conflicts of interest, professional staff recruiting and hiring, sexual harassment under Title IX, and prohibition against illegal discrimination, harassment and retaliation.